Club 33
by Dancerslife
Summary: Amongst the walls of an infamous club are many secrets. Can Will and Karen's be kept a secret or will it be publicized?
1. Chapter 1

In 1933, thirty-three men met each other for dinner; dining in the most expensive restaurants in New York. It wasn't long before they themselves had opened an exclusive club themselves.

Once the word of this new club, dubbed 33 by the citizens of New York, it soon became an invitation only event. The high-class citizens, the ones who could put their grandchildren, if not great-grandchildren through college, were able to get in with a simple phone call and a membership card.

It's gained success has come to the point where the wait list is years long, people having their names on from the moment they turned 18, the age limit due to the smokers of the city. The price of the membership had become so expensive it was almost as if the patrons had to give up their first born just for admittance. But once they were through the royal red door, the first-born wasn't close to being enough.

Karen Delaney walked into the place dressed up to the nines, as per dress code. Her black shoes went along with her grey pants and matched her black blouse. Her dark hair was swept up into a 50's hairstyle: her hair had been curled and placed into a bun allowing a few tendrils to frame her face. And her light make up which was eyeliner and bright red lipstick made the entire thing seem less exquisite than it seemed to be.

Already, for the restaurant being open for nearly ten minutes, people were milling around, the chatter volume already a light roar. She smiled at the man who took her coat, at the woman who offered her a glass of champagne, and at the small man waiting for her at the top of the stairs.

"Beverly Leslie," She said her voice laced with shock and pleasure.

"Karen Walker," He said before kissing each of her cheeks. "It's been a while."

"Only a few months," She said as she propped herself against the wooden banister over looking the entrance foyer, her eyes scanning the people who had just been let through the door. "And I'm not Mrs. Walker any more."

"My condolences," Beverly remarked, his voice teasing, his words sarcastic. Karen couldn't help but smile. Once again her attention was on the people entering the club, her cheeks warmed instantly at one of the men. "You still look at him the same way."

Karen tore her eyes from the group below to the little man next to her, narrowing her eyes. He simply shrugged and slowly looked back to the group below. She shook her head at the sudden collection of thoughts that plagued her mind. It wasn't right. It was months ago, not days, not years; she was over this.

She spun around from the balcony, her dress following her movements; gaining attention from the man downstairs. Karen had missed the looks passing between Beverly Leslie and the man she wished to have forgotten, but alas to no avail; he plagued her thoughts.

Moments later Karen entered an elegant room, dressed in white, decorated in gold. From her brief history of the place it had been the Lounge Alley, the maroon colored couches and the maroon-sitting chair in the corner. It was the room between the hallway and the dinning room. Knowing this emptiness was only temporary she took advantage of it and dropped into the chair, her hand covering her face.

This couldn't be happening to her. Of all places, of all people, he decided to come here on her birthday? They had been there a few times, in fact met on her birthday unbeknownst to him, but still this is where they met. And she should have said no when he asked her out, she have said no to the drinks he offered to buy her; it was a disaster and she knew it.

"Mrs. Walker?" An older lady questioned from standing in the doorway. She too was dressed in black. Her white hair short enough not needed to be put up. Karen stood motioning to the couch, sitting next to the woman. "It's been along time since I've seen you around these parts."

"Just a few months," Karen tried. The older woman shook her head, smiling. "Alright a year almost, but I've been busy."

"Taking up that gentleman's offer I hope," Karen's eyes fell from the older woman's to her hands. "Oh Karen, don't let a little job get in your way."

"You know about that?"

"Darling, all of New York knows about that." A bell chimed and a maître'd appeared in the doorway leading to the dinning room. "Ah well time for dinner." With the assistance of Karen and the woman's cane, she was on her feet. She turned slightly, placing her hand on Karen's cheek. "Go on out there. Let him know that, the man on his arm won't make him half as happy as you did. And blame me for it too,"

Karen smiled at the woman, hiding the shock of the new information she just received. New man on his arm? Karen hurriedly walked back to her perch of the balcony, Beverly Leslie was gone, and there weren't very many people gathered around. She looked down and caught a glimpse of red entering the elevator. She turned and waited for the elevator to pass by her, wanting to catch a glimpse of who this woman or man could possibly be.

The elevator in deed pass by her and there he was. He was standing with a lighter haired man in the corner of the elevator. She stopped breathing when his hazel eyes fell upon hers before disappearing up to the next level. She spun around and dropped down on to the small bench next to the elevator. She never felt like this. It wasn't right.

Another bell chimed and a man appeared to her left offering her arm. Karen took it, pleased that if he was in the room she'd have someone or something to hold onto, instead of falling to the floor. And alas there he was a level above her being seated with the man, the red head she saw entering into the elevator and the blue-eyed prince she saw hovering by the door when she arrived.

"Mrs. Walker?" Karen was about to put a forkful of salad into her mouth when she was met with a gorgeous pair of blue eyes. "My name is Jack. Jack McFarland and I just want to tell you, you look gorgeous."

Karen smiled, setting down her fork and nodded her head. "Thank you, honey."

"My friend over there, the red head sent me over," Jack said nodding his head in the direction of his table. It was only the red head sitting there. "She would like to meet you,"

"Of course." Karen pushed her chair out and took Jack's offered arm. He helped her up the stairs and over to the table.

The red head woman looked like a deer in the headlights when Karen approached the table. Her bright green eyes filled with shock that one of the most famous women of all of New York was standing in front of her.

"Oh my god," She said, nearly spitting out her water. "You're Karen Walker,"

"Yes I am." Karen said lowering herself into Jack's offered seat. "Or I was."

"I heard about that. How awful." Karen smiled shyly at the woman. "It's a shame that your husband suspected you of infidelity when it was him all along."

Karen knew he was there before Grace squealed and pointed her out. He was standing there dressed in dark colors, his tie the same color and his hair; long. "Will this is Karen Walker,"

Will looked down at her, offering his hand to shake. She did so before moving onto the man who was standing next to him with a plateful of food. "And you are?"

"Michael Potter ma'am." He said taking her hand, bringing it up to his lips and kissing it. Karen smiles at the man before pulling her hand back and laying it in her lap.

Things should never be so hard.


	2. Hookers

Her piles of invitations for Club 33 could have been substituted as a phone book. Through her marriage to Stanley, she had gotten an invitation at least once every week, sometimes two. They were desperate for his appearance, sometimes hers, and if they got lucky they got both of them.

Stripping off her coat she handed it to the man waiting by the door. She took the glass of champagne that was waiting on the small table. Knowing who was going to be there that night, it was just a matter of time before she was approached. And there wasn't enough alcohol in the joint to make her semi drunk.

Dumping the empty champagne glass back on the silver tray, Karen walked up the staircase purposely, her black heels contrasting against the royal red of the carpet.

The purpose of her being there was to welcome another member into the club. The poor soul who would need to spend nearly five thousand dollars to get an invitation to important events, a reservation list that was always open to them, and a frequent trip to the bar and buffet whenever they were there. To spend that much money, it almost wasn't worth it.

But in this day in age it was all about socializing. The more people you knew the better off you'd be. Talking to these people, the richest ones in all of New York pass through the door is like having the number one calling card of the city. The less people who have it the more important it is.

She felt a pair of arms wrap around her waist forcing her to smile at the sensation. She knew who it was and to be honest, she wasn't incredibly happy about it. She turned slightly to see the dark brown eyes of her husband. Shaking her head, silently telling him she didn't want his hands on her, he dropped them and shoved his hands in his pockets.

It was then that she saw the new member passing through the doors, forcing another smile to play at her lips. Stanley had paid for Will Truman, a man they had met a week ago at the theater, to join the club. Stanley took to Will almost immediately, finding him fascinating, finding him worthy of their conversations to revolve around him. It was strange and unnerving. Stan had never taken to someone like this. Especially someone who Stan wouldn't share his bed with.

"Thank you guys again for getting me in here," Will said once he approached them.

"It was all Stanley's idea." Karen told him, her eyes rolling in her husband's direction. Will smiled at Karen and went to shake Stan's hand, who just nodded before disappearing, going in the general direction of the bar.

Karen turned herself away from Will, tilting her head in the general direction of the sitting room, expecting him to follow. She smiled again when she turned to sit, seeing him right behind her. His dark hair matched his dark navy suit and the dark shoes on his feet; he looked good.

"If I make you uncomfortable," Will began. Karen's head shot up, her eyes latching onto his. Uncomfortable was an understatement. Ever since Stan had put the idea that Will could possibly be gay, she wanted to find out. That was the only reason she was here now.

"Why would you say that?" Karen asked. She had inkling, a bad taste in the back of her mouth, telling her Stan made have alluded to something about her. "Did someone tell you that?"

"Your husband told me you are uncomfortable around people you don't know." Karen smiled down into her lap. Stan could be so predictable. She looked back up, her tendrils once again framing her face; she shook her head.

"My husband doesn't know half the things I do or how I feel because he's too busy off doing something or someone else." A few passerby's shot looks at Karen and Will. So she might have said it a little louder than necessary, but it was the truth. She took Will's hand and pulled him down to sit next to her. "My husband has said a few things about you."

"And what would that be?" Will asked, taking two glasses of champagnes off the offered tray, handing one to Karen.

"He said that you were gay," She said, the ending in a whisper. Will looked like he was ready to spit his drink out.

"I might have told him that. It was just to get out of a marriage proposal." Will told her. "It was my friend from college. She wanted to sleep with me and so I said no because I wanted to wait until I got married. So that prompted a marriage proposal and before I had the chance to process it, she was already telling her family."

"So naturally you just tell her your gay." She laughs. "What happened then?"

"I didn't let her leave the kitchen and I told her that I was gay." He shrugged his shoulders. "It didn't help that I had an annoying roommate if you want to call him that, telling me I was gay. So I just acted on it."

"So answer me this," She said. "Are you gay?"

"If I was do you think I would be sitting here with you when I could be hitting on the bartender or anyone of these waiters?" She felt the color starting to creep into her cheeks. He sure knew what to say. "And I've wanted to kiss you since I've met you," He added in a low whisper, his voice dropping.

Just then Stan appeared in the doorway with a glass of alcohol beckoning them over. Their table was ready. And for once Karen was glad that Stan was there to pull them out of this suddenly awkward situation.

Stan had pinned Karen next to Will making everything once again, awkward. It's not like she hadn't thought about what type of kisser he was. If he was soft or dominating. She thought about the way he would touch her, soft at first more tempting as the time went on. It was a fantasy and as long as it stayed that way, they would be okay.

"I have to go to Japan," Stanley announced sometime during the dinner course. "Apparently some new intern screwed with the computer system and they don't know what's up or down."

"And you have to go because you know everything about computers?" Karen asked, stabbing at her vegetable side dish. "Why can't you just send one of your associates?"

"Karen, I'm just trying to get this business back on it's feet. Shouldn't take me more than a month to deal with it."

"That's what you said the last time you went and it took you almost a year to get back." She said darkly. Her voice dropped a few octaves. "Or were you finished in a month and decided to screw a hooker for the rest of your time?"

Stanley's eyes looked up and matched hers. He didn't look away and neither did she, but after sometime she was the first to look away, shoving her food further out in front of her. She stood up and walked away from the table, no doubt in the direction of the bathrooms. She got like this when she hit something on the head. It didn't bother her when she found out about it, just bothered her when she made it become reality.

"Well Will," Stan said standing up. Karen hadn't returned and they were well into desert now. "I hope you enjoyed yourself. I have a meeting tomorrow before going off to Japan. Do tell Karen I'll see her at home,"

With that Stan walked away from the table, grabbing his coat from the poor soul who was standing at the doorway. The man looked at Will, fright in his eyes for a flash before turning his head away. Will saw a flash of black whisk by the doorway moment's after Stan left. Feeding his curiosity he followed it up the flight of stairs leading into the more fancy part of the Club.

It was the Conference Wing, long wooden conference tables perfect for board meetings, inductions into the club. He had been there earlier in the week.

It was the last room on the right that he found Karen sitting back in a chair, her bare feet propped on the table, her heels left at the door. She looked relaxed, lying back like that, even though she was still visibly upset.

"If you're here to tell me Stan left, don't." She said, her eyes still not open. "He would have left when I did, but he didn't want to be rude to you."

Will took a seat in the chair next to her. If anyone passed by and took it upon themselves to look on them it would look like a meeting. He thought about pulling her feet into his lap, massaging them, but it would have been too intimate. It would have been inappropriate.

So Will just sat there with Karen as she ranted and raved about her husband, her husband's hookers and the bills she finds in various places within her house. Some people never change. Stanley Walker was one of them.


	3. Boat Kissing

Stanley had been gone a week and Karen was going stir crazy in the mansion that was suddenly too big. Stan took it upon himself to let all the help go, having them return at the end of the week. The place that was usually busy with people, walking in and out of the different rooms, was suddenly silent; a shocking difference.

She had been to the Club almost every night in the past 7 days. The alcohol there was endless and if you ended up smashed they would call a cab for their members; another one of their benefits.

Every night she was there Will was too. He was always dressed up in fancy suits, suits that would cost next to nothing if Stanley bought it. But here he was dressed up in some fancy suit, showing off and interacting with people as if he had done it his entire life.

Now she found herself sitting at the edge of the boat, just outside Portsmouth Harbor. It was his idea to take her out on this boat, again something that would cost nothing for Stan. Behind the flap of her giant white hat, she watched him pace back and forth talking adamantly on the phone, gesturing with his hands.

"It should have been done today," She overheard him saying. The waves crashed up against the boat as it slowly sailed, rocking it methodically. "If it's not done by the end of the week I'm taking back my check and voiding it."

He disappeared around the corner hiding behind a small cabin, leading down below. Will had been talking when she arrived, more calm than now, and no doubt just beginning his conversation. Whoever he was on the phone with wasn't adding anything to his day, making it progressively worse.

She offered to help him get started. She offered to help him with the sail or navigating the boat out of the harbor, obtaining information her father had given her when she was a child. They had a boat, he taught her the basics, and she fell in love with it. Now she had people who went to school to be sailors, people who had done this their entire lives, working for her and doing it themselves.

There was something about standing at the wheel that made her feel powerful. The entire vessel was in her hands. The shining wood that nearly melted under her touch, forming itself to her hands, it was a different feeling entirely to a car. It was more soothing while rocking on the water. It was easier for her.

"Sorry about that," Will said coming up from below. He tossed his phone onto a nearby pillow before sitting down close next to her.

"Everything alright?" She asked, looking at him out of the corner of her eye. He nodded and just shifted back, stretching out his arm, resting it behind Karen, his fingers lingering close to her shoulder. "Are we just going to stay here?

"Is there some place you want to go?" Karen shook her head. "You've been on a boat before, right?"

"When I was a child." She said slowly, looking over the edge of the boat, watching the fish swim by. "My father owned a boat and he took us out boating before he died. It was our weekend activity."

She smiled at the memory, looking down. A gust of wind blew by them, blowing her hat off, sweeping it behind her. Gasping she turned around, leaning over the back of the boat, trying to reach for it. Will grasped her waist, not wanting her to go over. He reached for the hat as well, it only going further out of reach. It landed in the mouth of the harbor, too far for them to reach and to narrow of space to turn around. It was a lost cause.

"Damn," She sighed, sitting heavily against her seat. She crossed her arm and ran a hand through her hair. Though it was short, it still got in her eyes and that annoyed her even more.

"Was it expensive?" Will asked, crossing his arms against his chest. Karen looked at him, her eyebrow raising above her glasses. "You're hat. Was it expensive?"

"I could always buy another one," She said, shrugging her shoulders, it really being no big deal. She only got one to hide herself from the sun and if Stan was there, the hat was being used as a shield to hide behind. She was starting to get tired of the attention he was giving her. It seemed displaced, forced, and not entirely for her.

She knew he was sleeping with other women besides her. She had known that before they were married and it didn't bother her then and it still didn't bother her now. But what did bother her was him blatantly lying to her. Telling her she was the only one that he sleeps with. The receipts for the hotels, the bills that get sent to their mansion for the various adult escorts were sitting around like various pieces of newspaper; it annoyed her.

God forbid she wanted to go out and be inconspicuous full well knowing that she won't be caught and then he goes out and screws anyone with a skirt in the lower east side. And it wasn't enough that she ran into one of them in the hallway of one of the hotels they were staying at. Karen would have assumed she was just a woman, who worked in the hotel, but it was the I.D. card that got left in their room and it wasn't for the hotel either.

And him telling her that he had to go out of the country just when they were getting better footing, it all when to hell in a hand basket. And being left with Will who had made the comment of wanting to kiss her the first day didn't make anything better. Now all she did besides trying not to think about Stan screwing some hooker was trying not to think of Will kissing her.

"You're hands are too tense against the wheel," Will said coming up behind Karen, placing his hands over hers. His chest was pressed against her back. This wasn't helping her thoughts. "You'll lock up if you need to turn,"

"We're not going anywhere," Karen said turning her head to look at him. His head was over her shoulder, his cheek close, his lips closer .She hated that Stan paid for his membership, she hated that he was in her life more so now that Stan wasn't there, but she enjoyed the close proximity.

"You're tense." He repeated, moving his hands to his shoulders, kneading her shoulders. God it felt good. She moaned and leaned her head back, resting it against his chest letting him dig his fingers into her shoulders. "You're letting your problems with Stan get to you," His voice low in her ear.

"You don't know about my problems with Stan," She said after a moment. It was when his hands stilled that she spoke. Her mind was mush when his hands were on her.

"He's not in love with you," Will said. Karen turned her head again, looking over at him. She should have ripped him apart for that comment. "He's using you,"

"You're sure of yourself," She said. "But you're not wrong either," He nodded his head and took a step backwards. She watched him walk away and disappear around the corner.

He had to get away before he did something he was later going to regret. She nearly melted under his touch and who knew what would happen if he went further. There was a chance to kiss her cheek, to kiss her lips, but she was so lost in her own thoughts, it would have made him look like someone trying to take advantage of her.

The last person he kissed was the random woman in the bar; some blonde bimbo by the name of Denice, Diana, Diane, _Diane. Diane. _The one who cried when he told her no. The one who he remembered kissing but not how his clothes ended up on the floor with a woman next to him in bed. It didn't make sense, but that was what happened with too much alcohol.

But this was Karen. This pale, dark haired woman who had a temper, couldn't make up her mind on what she wanted. It seemed like she did, like she knew exactly who, what, when and how she wanted it, but she was easily distracted by simple things like a shoulder massage. She was strong willed, smart, and not to mention gorgeous, but she was married and it annoyed him.

Her focus was in the water, watching it rise and fall, oddly as she breathed in and out. It was a very pretty blue, matching her father's eyes. It was the only memory of him, besides the boat and the trivial amount of photographs. It was a nice feeling.

And his personality, the happy go lucky sense of adventure reminded her of him because of Will. He had the impulses to do whatever he thought right. There was something about him, some sort of pain that still made him a bit standoffish, yet it made him incredibly straightforward and she liked that. She liked it a lot. Her first husband was straightforward like that and it was what attracted her. The sense of free-will and carelessness with some sort of control made her crazy. It was all unpredictable.

She felt his presence next to her and when she looked at him, he took her face in his hands, bringing it close to hers. She hadn't realized he had specks of green in his brown; it was pretty. Something like a hidden treasure. She had light freckles on the bridge of her nose hidden by make up. Her eyes didn't look as sad as they did when he first looked at her. They looked happier when he was in front of her, drawing his thumb against her jawbone.

"I'm sorry," He said quickly. She opened her mouth to ask 'What for' when his lips crashed against hers. She was too shocked to pull away, to push him away; she just melted into him. It wasn't worth fighting.

Her fingers wrapped themselves around his belt loops, inadvertently pulling him closer. His fingers buried themselves further into her hair, tilting her head to the side, letting it rest in the crook of his arm. This felt good. This felt really good to be standing in his arms; to have her in his arms. It was foreign and it was good.

She finally pulled away, her hands immediately going to her hair, trying to smooth it out. There was no one around her to make any comment, but it became so habitual to make sure her appearance looked good, everyone had a camera.

"That shouldn't have happened," Karen said shaking her head. It was louder than she anticipated. She heard him sigh and watched him run a hand across his forehead. It didn't make a lot of sense. This was just too sudden.

He watched her move to the front of the boat and sit down, her shoulders slouched, her face in her hands. And there it was, he ruined it. He ruined whatever they had, whether it was friendship or something more, but it was all gone now anyway.

She had to pull away. God she wanted him and she knew it was bad. It wasn't supposed to happen the way it did. She shouldn't have been married while being interested in someone else. It just wasn't normal She had vowed not to do what her mother did, what Stan had a habit of doing; sleeping with someone who wasn't your spouse. But it was just incredibly tempting to do anything and everything with Will.

"What was that for?" He asked her, after she stormed back before grabbing his face and kissing him, something akin to the way he did it moments before.

"I didn't kiss you back," She smirked. "That was my chance."

With that Karen walked away from him, sitting closer to the front of the boat rather than the back. Will laughed lightly and shook his head. Yes this woman was a mystery. And he realized he likes it.


	4. Sleeping Houses

Everything around her was so warm and so comfortable like she was wrapped up in a pair of arms that she started to live for. For a split second she thought she felt someone move behind her and her thoughts drifted to Stanley, and that she was in the mansion, but then she remembered he was in a foreign country. She buried her nose in the blanket and inhaled. It smelled of something spicy, something strong, and it reminded her of Will.

Karen sat up in bed, her hands immediately going to her chest and she made sure that she was fully dressed; yet she was in his bed. Her hair was down, the way she liked to have fallen asleep. She ran her hand over her face, tangling her fingers in her hair. She didn't kiss him; she would remember. She didn't sleep with him, or else she would have been naked, possibly wrapped up in him.

She heard something drop and rattle from the direction of his kitchen. It was suddenly nice to know she was not alone. Tossing the covers over, she got out of bed, her feet comfortable against the carpet. She wiggled her toes, attempting to rid of the feeling of the pins and needles.

Will put the lid of the skillet into the sink, the culprit of the incessant racket. After Karen's tearful admittance to him last night, about Stan, about the potential divorce, all she needed was sleep. The day was almost half over and when he checked on her she was still asleep. It had been a long time since he slept on the couch, and he had forgotten how uncomfortable it was, but the last thing he wanted Karen to do was jump to conclusions about him and his intentions.

He heard her soft footsteps behind him, before turning around to look at her. She was dressed one of his white dress shirts, something he had had convinced her to change into when she arrived. Her clothes were soaked through and the last thing he wanted was for her to be sick and the blame laid on him. He had instructed her to strip down to almost nothing and he left, giving her privacy. Now her hair, which was on the verge of curly and straight, looked like it had fingers run through it all night. She looked, in a simple word, sexy.

"What time is it?" She asked, shifting one hand to lie on the top of her head. He caught his breath as the shirt moved up, revealing her more skin. She was cheating at a game she didn't even know she was playing.

"Almost noon," He smiled. She dropped her hand looking at him with wide eyes. Time must have escaped her.

"You're kidding," He shook his head. She went up the few steps into the kitchen and leaned against the counter, tilting her head, a small smile playing at her lips.

He looked good dancing around the kitchen, cleaning, making things; domestic yet normal. He was in a pair of sweats with a t-shirt, his hair was a mess and him look of being disheveled was good on him. She couldn't help allow her smile to grow wider as he presented her with a glass of water.

"How did you sleep?" He asked, offering her two aspirin, a joint necessity with the water. She downed it in one go and set the glass down, with a raised eyebrow, almost as she were questioning it.

"Pretty good," She smiles. "Thanks for the shirt. In between all the yelling, the crying and the screaming, I don't think I thanked you last night."

"No problem." He nudged her with two plates. "Go. Sit."

Karen laughed and sat in a white chair with her one of her feet propped underneath her. She smiled as he placed the dish in front of her. "Thank you."

"I hope you like it," It was a plate of eggs with toast and a bowl of fruit. It was a simple and nice gesture on his part. He could have just kicked her out telling her he didn't want her there when the roommate came home. Or

Stan had been gone nearly a month now and Will had spent enough time with her since his departure to know when she was avoiding something. Her face was at ease, but she wasn't focused on a certain thing. Instead she would stare off into space until she herself drew out of it or something did it for her. This was one of those times. She took small bites of her food and he just watched her.

He started to laugh lightly and that was when she looked up, poking at her food before shoving a forkful of it into her mouth. She smiled as he shook his head. This was easy for them, to slip into some sort of easy silence. With Stanley it would be awkward and the conversation was forced. It didn't bother either one of them to convene in some silence.

"My family has this cabin that I want to take you to," Will informed her. "It's not too far, up and hidden away, but it's nice and family like."

"Family like?" She questioned. If there were kids, it was the last place she wanted to go.

"My parent's decided to put up a tree house for my nephew and some other things for him to play with." Will informed her. "But there's plenty of things for us to do, or you yourself. We have a Horse stable for you to ride horses if you'd like."

"I haven't ridden a horse since I was seven or eight." She said shrugging. "But that doesn't seem like a bad idea,"

He couldn't get enough of her smile he had decided. He liked the way the corners of her mouth twitched up and the way her nose wrinkled ever so slightly. Her eyes brightened with something untouchable and he couldn't get enough of it.

Her eyes lit up first at the sight of his parent's very delicate and very old fashionable summer home that now substituted for their winter cabin. The white Victorian-esque building had been decorated in snow, the front lawn covered in it. He watched her get out of the car; she was in a trance of some sort.

She took the hand that Will offered, using it as leverage to get out of the black town car that had come and picked them up and drove them into the middle of what seemed like nowhere. And beyond the wall of trees and the gridiron gate, this gorgeous four floored mansion appeared at the end of the grovel stone slowly let go of his hand and walked towards the staircase leading up to the house. Her fingers danced along the railing, leading up to the front porch. Will followed slowly behind her, a bag in each hand; his instructions were to pack light.

Standing at the top of the wooden staircase Karen turned and looked at Will, who was a few steps below her and smiled. He couldn't get over the way she looked, standing there in her navy blue suit, enough white blouse sticking out in order to demolish any pretenses that she might be nude under the jacket.

Her eyes danced happily as she watched him finished his way up the stairs. She wasn't too thrilled when he showed up to Club 33 the night before all but ordering her to come with him. He wasn't even dressed to be in the club, but because of the membership, they were forced to let him in, even in his jeans and t-shirt. She wasn't completely sure, either how he had got a bag of necessities for her when he didn't have a key, but alas there was a bag in the car when she got in.

They had driven for 11 and a half hours and when she woke up, mid way through the ride, her feet were propped up in Will's lap, her head tilted up against the window. Will had been asleep, his head tilted back against the seat, his hands placed protectively across her ankles, his fingers brushing the sides of her leg. He was a nice man, a gentle being, yet strong willed and incredibly mysterious. There were a few questions of his sexuality bouncing off the walls of the Club, but she paid no mind to it. The comment he made, still lingering in the back of her mind.

When he stood in front of her, the bags in his, Karen placed a palm against his cheek, her thumb tracing his bottom lip. There was no missing how Will's mouth opened ever so lightly at the touch, almost anticipating more. She took another step closer to him, he doing the same, trapping her against the frame. He dropped the bags and buried his hands in her hair, something he had been wanting to do for sometime. Karen lifted her head up, her thumb tracing his cheek, before succumbing to him.

This time it was more gentle, more need was behind it. Her hands wrapped neck, bringing him closer to him. She smiled into the kiss and when he pulled back there was no shame, no feeling but more. They needed more. Karen leaned over and took her own bag, following Will into the house that was going to change their lives.


	5. Vacation House

As far as Karen knew her suitcase was at the bottom of the stairs, her clothes along with Will's were scattered up the stairs and down the hallway. Karen had been pulled into the only bedroom that wasn't his brothers or a room that was touched by his parents. The room was at the end of the hallway, hidden almost.

He had taken control and she let him. Normally it was her who took command and did what she wanted, but with Will it was something different. It almost seemed normal that she was at his mercy. She just let his hands roam, do whatever they wanted to, and she was fine with it.

Being taken advantage of, in bed, out in the real world was something she was used to. And she had vowed not to let anyone do that to her. Then she met Stanley and it had gone well. He was attracted to her carelessness and that was why he had married her, so he said. And then as she got older and was married to him longer, it was revealed that she was just an arm pet. And she hated it. With Will she loved it.

And it was because of Stan that she was awake now, sitting in a chair, watching Will sleep. His face was buried in the pillow, his head propped up on his arms, his back bare with the sheet wrapped around his waist. She would crawl back into bed with him, let him wrap his arms around her, an action he's done a few times that night. She felt safe there, no one possibly hurting her.

He shifted slightly his arm reaching for her. He sat up when he felt her side of the bed emptied. The light flickered on and there she was in the light, smiling at him. He sat up and leaned against the headboard, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. He looked at her again; her legs were drawn up under her, her arms crossed.

"You're too far," Will mumbled, his eyes still closed. When she didn't move to him, he slowly opened his eyes, taking her in. "You okay?"

"Stan isn't coming back for a few more weeks." Karen said with a small smile. She shrugged her shoulders. It didn't bother her so much, not as much as it should anyway.

"You okay, with that?" Will asked. She took that opportunity to move and to climb underneath the covers. Will wrapped his arms around her, allowing her to use his shoulder as a pillow.

"I will be." She closed her eyes for a moment, letting Will heartbeat's lull her to the brink of sleep. His fingers were running through her hair, a light massage. His touch was so gentle, so caring; it made her feel good.

She had fallen asleep moments later, her face in his neck, her breath warm against his cheek. Will rested his head against the headboard, his hand mechanically running up and down Karen's arm.

He hadn't expected to sleep with her. He knew he was going to kiss her, he had thought about it for the entire car ride. But sleeping with her, while she was married to someone, didn't even cross his mind. Sure tossing the idea back and forth in his head was one thing, teasing her about it was one thing, and then actually doing it, that was something else entirely.

She hadn't said anything, barely even moaned and it didn't bother him. He had the inclination that all women made some sort of noise, but in Karen's case she was nearly mute. She gasped when he entered her and she moaned his name once, but that was it. It didn't bother him. It did bother him how she just let him do whatever he pleased.

He barely wanted to touch her in the case that he touched her and hurt her. But all he wanted to do was touch her, kiss her and make her his. He wanted to memorize everything about her, get to know her, know what she likes and dislikes, but she was silent. She rarely talked about herself and or anyone. She was always inquiring about him and his likes.

"Come with me," Karen was pulled down the dirt road, her dark shoes becoming a different color. He had been discreet in his description of how she should have dressed. 'Comfortable, but something you could get dirty in.' She was glad that she chose flats, but these boots were a favorite pair.

She was comfortable, that much he could tell. She was dressed in a pair of beige pants, a white blouse and her hair was halfway up with a pair of sunglasses resting on her nose. He wouldn't let her carry anything with the exception of a water bottle that she had grabbed before coming.

Will led them to a small patch of grass, big enough to be someone's back yard, smaller than a park. He took her by the shoulders and turned her around to overlook the city of trees then the city itself. She smiled at the sight, smiled bigger when she noticed the smoke looming out of the chimney.

"You set the fire just for this didn't you?" She asked, looking over her shoulder. He wrapped his arms around her and smiled when her hands covered his on her chest. She leaned her head back, resting it on his shoulder. The site was gorgeous; it went over the side of the hill, rolling down into the city.

"That is where we are," He said pointing to the pillar of smoke, something Karen had already pointed out. "This is where I want to build my house."

Karen was going to make some smart-ass remark but shut her mouth when she realized that he had said _house. _His house. She turned around in his arms, dropping her hands to his waist, looking up at him with wide eyes. He drug a finger down her cheek, resting his hand against her face.

"Your house?" Will nodded and kissed her forehead, an action he had done a lot recently. She smiled as his lips touched her head. "When did you decide to do this?"

"It's been something I've been thinking of for a long time now." Will told her, taking a step backward, taking her hand in his. "My brother is helping me with the plans. They're actually done. I just need to start on it."

"Well why haven't you started on it?"

"I've been busy. School. Work. It's been difficult. And then meeting you, I've wanted to pay attention to no one and nothing but you." They shared a laugh. It was easy for them to fall into something like that. It was a comfortable conversation.

"How long have you been working on this project?"

"Freshman year of college. So five years? Six?" He laughed lightly. She shook her head. "I really love this idea."

"What do you have in mind?" Will took his hand back and distanced himself, turning his back on her.

For a moment she thought that she had overstepped her boundary. Took a step too far by simply inquiring about his plans. It was like a writer who kept their story ideas to themselves in the case that someone might steal them. A plan for a house was similar; it was their baby, their creation. It was unheard of to have someone come in and stop all over that. It wasn't right.

Karen was about to say something, something akin to an apology when Will turned around with a smile on his face. Her worries were pushed to the back of her mind and just watched him as he explained his house.

There would be a great big sitting room, the center of everything. One each side would be a room, a kitchen on one point, a library on another point, a guest bedroom ad then a small hallway leading out to the backyard that would look over the city. One the second floor, there would be three bedrooms. The master bedroom would have two French doors leading to a balcony over looking the patio and then the other two would be a guest room and something Will was concealing.

"And this one, this is going to be the kids bedroom. I want a boy and a girl," He smiled. Karen's was faltering.

"Cute." She said quickly. "Do you have these plans all drawn out?"

"It's in the closet." She told him. "Come on."

Will took her home the long way around. He continued to talk about the dream house he had in his head.

While he was excited about sharing his plans Karen was suddenly uncomfortable. Who knew how many people he had told about the house. Everything about it seemed so perfect and so right. For a moment she thought about what it would be like to live in that house with Will and then Stan's voice infiltrated her mind. And any blissful idea was gone.


	6. Infant Calls

They had just fallen into a simple pace with each other. There was no set relationship title to what they were going through, but whatever it was, she liked it and it seemed like he did too. They couldn't get enough of each other. There wasn't enough alcohol in a bottle to play a fair drinking game. When they were together they were always touching each other, the needing to feel the other person became a necessity.

It was one thing to wake up with another person, think it was a mistake and to continue seeing them. It was another thing entirely to actually enjoy it and continue on even with the idea that they could get caught any minute. It gave them a rush of something, something that they couldn't get enough of.

Will had promptly told her, twenty minutes before, that they had gotten an invitation to the Club. It was to celebrate someone's anniversary, birthday, something that needed balloons, a loud band, and a place that was wall-to-wall people. Some would think that it was a fire hazard and some would call in more people.

"Do you think we should call the fire marshal, now? Karen asked under her breath as Will pulled her through the crowd.

The stairs were lined with people, the only way up was the small elevator, which had a line to get to. Will tightened his grip of her hand and pulled her up to the stairs. He all but shoved the other people up and over the banister, just trying to get through.

At the top of the stairs there was enough room to breathe. It was a nice feeling before getting swiped under another current of people. They were all but shoved into the main room, which was decorated up to the nine's with elegance. A large banner hung in the middle reading, _Congratulations, _with a graduation cap next to it.

"I feel like we should have brought a present," Will whispered into her ear. An older lady approached them, forcing Karen to smile. There was something about the woman that reminded her of her own mother. She seemed to be nice, but there was always an ulterior motive.

Karen and Will sat down at a small table away in the corner. Everyone and anyone would be able to pass by, but a lot of people knew who Karen Walker was, and they would often steer away. Karen just smiled at Will whenever it happened, there wasn't much she could do about it. It was almost as if they were afraid of her, or afraid of her husband. To be talked to by Stanley Walker was a godsend, to be looked at by his wife, now that was just a diamond in the rough.

After sometime the crowd thinned out. After a chorus of a congratulatory song and an array of deserts, there was an announcement that the party was over and if they would like to stay they were able to do so. The announcement was made hours before. Will and Karen had been left alone, talked some, and the people who had been surrounding them were now gone.

"Come with me," Will said in her ear, grabbing her hand and pulling her up. He led her down the hallway just out of the main room. They passed a man who was talking on his phone and a woman who had been asleep against the wall. He pulled her into a small room, a little bigger than a closet.

"What are you doing?" She asked when he took her and put her on the small table. He kissed her quickly before his kissed her neck, teasing her weak spot with the tip of his tongue. Her hands buried themselves in his hair, pulling him closer, giving into his ministrations.

His hands went to the hem of her skirt pulling it up to her waist, stepping in between her legs. He kissed her lips again, running his tongue along her bottom lip, probing her mouth open. She moaned when he was granted access and tugged on his hair.

Her hands went to his pants, undoing the buckle and popping open the button. She wrapped her arms around his waist, dropping her hands in between his boxers and his pants, pulling him closer. She barely had enough time to catch her breath when he popped open her blouse and attacked the newly presented skin.

She was glad that they were in the dark. There was something about the dark, not being able to see what was in the other person's eyes, which made the act even better. Their senses were heightened, making everything seem more alive; better. She felt him against her and she could feel him getting ready for her, when the door behind Will swung open, a woman standing in the door way.

Karen gasped, and buried her face in his neck, his cursing sounding loud in her ear. She hadn't seen who the woman was, no doubt one of the people who knew her husband. Everyone knew her husband, thus knowing who she was, and she hated it.

"You think that was my fault?" She yelled at him a few hours later after they left the club. No one was waiting to ask questions, which was a rare occasion, and she was grateful for it. Immediately after being caught, Will lapsed into a silent state, stayed like that throughout the cab ride; it made her uncomfortable. "You're the one who dragged me in there."

"Well I didn't hear you complaining," He pointed out.

"When was I supposed to say something? When you took me in there? When you hiked up my skirt? Or when you were practically begging in my ear?" She threw open the door to what had become their bedroom, it slamming against the wall. She threw her purse onto the nearby chair not even noticing a few things tumbling out of it.

She suddenly felt claustrophobic with him standing there, staring at her, his eyes wide. It suddenly felt like she was married to Stanley again, her time not even worth his. More times than none it made her sick, a feeling she had felt a lot these days.

Will moved to go clean up her 'mess' when she stopped him, her hand covering his. She shook her head, silently telling him she'd do it. He picked up a small bag, a bag that made his eyes snap up to hers. She immediately looked down, her body suddenly feeling weak. This was not how she wanted him to find out and there was no way to explain it.

"What the hell is this?" Will asked holding up the bag. She would not look at him. She went to move away but he grabbed her arm, pulling her to him. It hurt, but she wasn't one to admit it.

"It's a pregnancy stick, what else could it be?" She said getting to her feet, snatching the bag out of his hand. She made her way into the bathroom, throwing the bag away as she went.

He stood at the doorway watching her apply lotion to her face and to her hands, a ritual he had watched nightly. She caught his eyes in the mirror, staring him down, daring him to question the stick and her. It was bound to happen and she knew it was knew there were a million things running through his mind, there were more running threw hers.

She had felt sick the past few days. Her head hurt, her entire body was sore. She had convinced herself once that it was the flu and she would have loved to convince herself of that now, but she couldn't wrap her mind around that thought so easily now. Not when she and Will were going at it every chance they got. She didn't want to look at him. She couldn't bare to look at him knowing the question on his mind.

"I thought you were using protection." Will said, stepping into the bathroom. It almost sounded like he was accusing her for it. "I thought-"

"I thought you were using condoms," She told him. "We slip up every so often. Who doesn't? And there is a percent of people who get pregnant while still using birth control and condoms. So don't blame me for this."

"Don't blame me." Will said throwing up his hands, bracing himself against the doorjamb. "If you weren't so goddamn addicting we wouldn't be dealing with this."

"Just imagine the headlines," She said pushing herself past him, through the doorway, into the room. She unbuttoned her blouse, shoving it off her shoulders, tossing it on the floor. "Karen Walker caught in a supply closet with a man who screwed his way into the club."

"You would know all about that, wouldn't you." The sting that shot from the tips of her fingers up her arm was immediately numbed by her gasp. Her slapping him was a instinctive act. Her kissing him, getting thrown onto the bed was not something she expected. Especially not from him.

She expected him to yell at her, to accuse her of ruining his life for even possibly considering having a baby. She expected him to give her the silent treatment. It was what Stan had done when Karen even mentioned having a baby. He pretended she didn't exist and did so to the day. Karen had mentally prepared herself for being told he wanted to spend the night alone, to not see her again, not thrown onto the bed and then ravished for the following hours.

"Are you pregnant?" She heard him ask, moments before placing a kiss to her cheek. She felt him wrap his arms around her waist, pulling her to him.

"No." She said slowly. "No I'm not." She couldn't help but smile when he didn't loosen her grip on her but tighten it. She liked his warmth. He pressed another kiss to her shoulder before tucking his head next to hers on the pillow.

In the darkness of the early hours of the morning her favorite thing to do was to watch Will sleep. His face was always relaxed, even when he'd toss and turn. He would mumble something when he had trouble sleeping which only happened when he came home late at night. She hated having to wake up in the middle of the night to use the facilities or to get a glass of water, if it meant disturbing Will and waking him, she'd feel nothing but guilt. She loved watching him sleep and she loved sleeping with him.

The phone's screen next to her lit up, it's soft vibration sounding in the quiet room. She flipped it open, pushed the green button and placed it to her ear.

"Hello, Stanley," Once in her entire marriage she was glad that he had called. Her mind was too busy with the thoughts of the man in the bed and she needed to hear her husband's voice, for once she needed him.


	7. Bothered Secrets

Life couldn't haven been moving fast enough to give Karen the illusion that it was moving at all. Jack had seen her from outside the restaurant and decided to let himself in, smiling at her as he bounced over. Instantly she regretted it. Slowly she began to regret the past five months because it all could come to an abrupt stop with whatever he had to say.

The past few weeks between her and Will were tense. They had argued more than they had before the pregnancy test. They had gone to bed angry, if they had gone to bed at all. There was a lot of sex to be had, angry, power hungry sessions that had to have some sort of dominant winner. And on more than one occasion Karen or Will had woken up alone with some sort of apology note on the bedside table. It seemed like the thing that had to happen, no matter how stupid and childlike it had become.

The only familiar face that had been poking around the apartment lately was Jack. He was always friendly to her, deciding that one day they had to go shopping. She had been introduced to him a while back and she couldn't remember where he had gone in the past few months. Will told her, that much she did remember, but where he had said escaped her mind. As Jack spoke, animatedly, Karen racked her brains.

"So Will told me to tell you he has to cancel dinner tonight. Something came up." Jack said. The mention of Will brought her out of her thoughts. She smiled at the man, his blue eyes lightening up. "What happened between the two of you, Kare-? He seems miserable."

"Just a little misunderstanding honey. Nothing to worry about." She smiled. Behind Jack, in the mirror, Karen saw the man who she wanted to keep secret for a little longer.

Stan had called her, told her he was coming home earlier than expected. On the phone she was pleased, sounded pleased and devastated that he had been away so long. When in actuality she was devastated that he was coming home at all. She wanted to live in the moment a little longer. She had been in the bathtub waiting for Will to join her. It was one of the moments he had not been mad at her. She had hung up moments before he entered and when his hands applied minimal pressure to her shoulders, all thoughts of Stan had disappeared. It wasn't until the phone call that woke her out of a pleasant night's sleep to remind her that he'd be there in a few hours that she'd remembered. She was going to tell Will.

Now she was sitting in the Astor Café with her husband and her lover's best friend. And as much as she had come to like Jack, come to enjoy his presence, a gossip he was and she did not want Will to hear about Stan's arrival from anyone but her. It was her tell to tell and no one else's.

"Karen, we need to leave," Stan said from behind her, placing a hand on her shoulder. His eyes met Jack's and Karen could see the confusion in his eyes. "Karen, who is this?"

"Stan this is Jack, a friend of Will's. Jack this is my husband." She smiled as she said the word husband, full well knowing that Stan was watching her face in the mirror. She saw the small smile that Jack was carrying falter ever so slightly, but nonetheless Jack kept a brave face. She had hoped he see her pleading with him not to say anything of the past few months to him.

"Oh, what a pleasant surprise." Stan exclaimed. He held out his hand offering it to Jack. "Nice to meet you. Any friend of Will's is a friend of mine,"

Stan laughed lightly, causing Karen and Jack to do the same. The embarrassment that Karen felt was nothing to laugh about. She felt her entire world come crashing down, piece by piece, as slowly as humanly possible. It made her sick. She wanted Will to whisper in her ear as he did the nights she felt a wreck that everything would be okay. Even if it wasn't going to be. Being with him had made everything better.

"Can I borrow your wife for a second?" Jack asked. Stan nodded and Jack grabbed Karen's hand practically dragging her out of her chair. He pulled her into his side and pushed her through the double doors that led into Tiffany's. He let go of her hand then and spun around, brown matching blue. "What the hell are you thinking? Are you trying to make sure he get's hurt?"

"He won't get hurt, Jack." Karen informed him. "Stan called me out of the blue this morning told me he was going to be home in a few hours." It was a lie, and nothing was going to make her feel better about telling it. But she had already lied to Will this morning when he asked her where she was going. And she felt bad enough that she hadn't told Will that Stan was back in town. She didn't want whatever she had with him to end yet.

"Karen. He will get hurt. If you don't tell him Stan is back in town he will be hurt."

"I will tell him when I feel like telling him." Karen said taking a step closer to Jack. She pressed her palm against his cheek. "Please, honey. Don't tell Will."

Jack nodded. "I hope you tell Will before your little secret does because I know how much Will hates cheaters."

With that Karen was left in Tiffany's alone with her husband who was no doubt on the phone in the next room. He was always on the phone no matter where they were. It annoyed her more so than when he wasn't home. And often enough she enjoyed when he went away, it gave her a chance to be someone else for a while.

And someone else she would be for a little while longer. Karen had gone 'home' to Will's apartment, telling Stan that she had to go out and do some things in town. He just nodded his head and waved her away as he answered yet another phone call. So she went to the only place that she felt comfortable.

She went into the bedroom and she heard the shower running. She smiled as she saw a small duffle bag on the bed. It had been packed for a few days it looked like. And she couldn't help but smile as she saw what he had packed. There were a few outfits and virtually no pajamas. She shook her head. He must have had a fun time picking these things up.

As she fingered her lace pair of underwear, Karen felt his arms wrap around her waist. She closed her eyes as she enjoyed his warm and wet chest against her back. He planted a kiss on her cheek and rested his chin on her shoulder. She leaned her head back and wrapped a hand around his neck.

"I never said I was sorry," Will muttered in her ear. "For the whole stick thing, I never said I was sorry for freaking out."

"It's okay." Karen said. It was true. Her eyes were casted down to the bag. "Where are we going?"

"My parent's house. They called me a couple hours ago after you went out for breakfast." He informed her. "We'll be there for a few days. Has Stan called?"

"He called me this morning. He'll be back in a few days. A week or two maybe." Will nodded and gave her a swift kiss to the cheek again before letting go and turning away from her.

She wanted to feel guilty for lying to him about Stanley. She should have felt guilty for lying to him, but she didn't. She was more so relieved than anything that he didn't question it or demand details. Another lie wouldn't have been possible. She would have crumbled into pieces.

The Truman house was a lot smaller than the mansion on the hill. It was a cozy little place with a fire going and lights that weren't too bright or too low either. Classical music played in the background, providing some ambience, a nice change to the city of New York.

Will had carried the bags up and held onto her hand as they waited for his mother to open the door. And when the door opened, she couldn't help but smile at the blonde woman. Dressed in a cream suit with a tumbler of some liquid; she looked gorgeous.

The woman moved aside letting the two of them inside, Karen still holding onto Will's hand, not wanting to let go. If she did it may break the allusion that they were in fact together, in a real relationship. Will had introduced Karen to Marilyn, to George, to his niece and nephew; Karen slowly started to become uncomfortable.

If they were in a real relationship, Karen's heart would have constricted in her chest, her pulse would sound loudly in her ears, the temporary thought that it could be her son and daughter one day running up to their father like that made her feel guilty more so than anything. Karen forced a smile at the little boy she was introduced to and allowed the little girl to kiss her cheek. It was a real family dynamic.

And in a real relationship all of this would bother her. The quick-witted question of whether or not she was pregnant could have been twisted into some joke. But instead she stood up and disappeared. What her and Will had wasn't a real relationship, so why was it bothering her so much?


	8. Fantasy Shopping

Will could still see her standing in the doorway, with her bag packed a sad smile on her face and it was his entire fault. He should have told her the truth from the very beginning. It would have saved a lot of heartbreak and truth in the end. He didn't expect to see Grace at the store and he sure as hell didn't expect to see her conversing with Karen.

It made him nervous. It made him really nervous to see them laughing over something and they were actually got along. There were 2 options, one was they actually knew each other and they were laughing at something that was an inside joke or the other one was they had no idea who the other one was and that they just found something entertaining.

As he rounded the corner he saw Grace's eyes light up at the sight of him and Karen's curiosity getting the better of her, turned and smiled at him. As his cheeks started to warm in embarrassment and being caught, he forced a smile. Two of the most important people in his life had no idea who the other was.

"Will!" Grace exclaimed. She enveloped him in a hug and held on tight. Over Grace's shoulder Will saw Karen's smile falter but grow when she looked him in the eyes. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to have lunch with a friend next door." Will said his attention shifting to Karen who was standing there with her hands gripping the handles of her purse. "Karen,"

"Will." She said smoothly. Grace looked between the two of them, her eyes wide with surprise.

"You know her?" She asked, jerking her thumb in Karen's direction. When Will nodded, Grace shoved his chest. "Get out! How?"

"I uh-"

"My husband and I met him at Club 33 a few months ago." Karen filed in for them. It would have been an awkward conversation.

Grace linked her arm through Will's and drug him away from Karen who just moseyed around the store looking at the different pieces of jewelry in the cases. She would look up every so often and find Will looking at her. The way his shoulders were tense and the way his brows were knitted close together, he was uncomfortable. And with a simple massage, a few seconds, he would be fine. And only she knew that.

It was strange how Grace had just approached her complimenting her on her shoes. It was a pair she had bough months ago, months before she met Will even. Grace had gone on and on about wanting to find those one pair of shoes that she'd wear forever and everywhere. Karen just smiled and nodded as she continued to listen to Grace ramble.

When Grace had lifted her head and saw Will, Karen's heart stopped for a moment. It was a train wreck waiting to happen. Someone could have joked about them sleeping together and one of them could have denied it, but even though Grace had been out of the loop for a while, she was still receptive to his moods. She would have said something, made the situation a lot worse and him and her would have been in the same spot when she left. It was a mess then and a lot bigger one now.

"So you two met at the Club?" Grace asked before shoving a fork full of pasta in her mouth. Will had invited Grace over to his apartment for dinner when they had skipped lunch. She had extended an invitation to Karen, which she was all ready to decline, but Will insisted.

With Grace's unexpected presence, they were thrown into reality. A reality they were dancing around, taking baby steps into. Yes they went out to eat, they slept together, spent time together; but they weren't dating. And they weren't in a relationship. Not really anyway. But now that Grace was here and they were lying, both to each other and her, keeping track of what was being said was becoming difficult. A slip of the tongue would bring everything down.

"So Grace, how do you know Will?" Karen asked, taking a sip of wine that Will had placed in front of her.

"In college he was my best friend. And then we got engaged and that night he told me he was gay." Karen choked on her wine at the word engagement and gay. Her eyes snapped up, looking at him. Grace has seemed so blaze about it.

Will's head was tilted down, his food suddenly more interesting. He hadn't told her straight out that he wasn't gay, but he didn't need to in order for her to see it. He hadn't showed any attention to men and he didn't show any attention to any other women other than her. It was a sore subject at the beginning of their affair, if that's what they wanted to call it. And now that they were in way over their heads, it was a delicate subject.

"He told you he was gay?" Karen asked even thought it sounded more like a statement than a question. She shoved her glass of wine away from her and scooted her chair back, the proximity suddenly too close for her. There had always been a question of his sexuality, but it was never 'told' to her.

"Karen, are you okay?" Grace asked. If only she knew.

"Yeah, honey. I just remembered I had to do something at home." It was a lie. Stan was there and she didn't want to be there. She wanted to be in Will's bed, with Will, but at that moment it was just too much to even ask for.

Karen grabbed her purse and her coat off the couch, pulling it on before exiting the apartment. As the elevator doors closed she heard the slamming of Will's door. Either he was chasing after her or he was kicking Grace out. But the feeling that he was doing neither had crossed her mind and she didn't care. Or at least she would like to not care.

The doors opened to the lobby, a place that she had walked before and waited in quite a few times in the past five months. There always were vases of flowers on the tables, a nice sitting area that was accompanied with light music; it was a very nice lobby. And now she was leaving it, probably for the last time. She was done. She couldn't handle it anymore. Not when her husband was asking about where she was going every time she was going to Will. And she couldn't handle watching Will get cornered by Stan when Karen had gone missing. It wasn't fair.

The moment she stepped out onto the concrete she immediately cursed the weather of New York. It had started to rain some time between the moment she left Will's apartment and now, which was a whole of possibly sixty seconds. It didn't bother her that she got soaked wet then second she stepped out from underneath the green awning. It didn't bother her that she was going to have to throw out the now ruin pair of heels, it bothered her that Will was standing on the same street, yelling her name.

"What do you want from me?" She asked him when he came to her. They were standing in the middle of the street, no cars were passing, they wouldn't dare driving out in the weather.

"I want you to come back inside and allow me to explain," He took her hands in his, pulling her to him. "Come on, Kare-"

"So you can explain what exactly?" She asked, stepping out of his grasp. "You told her you were gay. She still believes your gay. How am I, the woman who is sleeping with you, supposed to take that?"

"I told you that I had said that to get out of the engagement. I didn't want to sleep with her. Hell I didn't want to sleep with anyone then, not really. She had been gone for a few months before I met you. Then I met you and I couldn't get you out of my head."

"So I was your rebound girl, great," She said throwing her arms up in the air, flicking water in all sorts of directions.

"You mesmerize me Karen. You force me to see things in different ways. Directions I wouldn't have looked if you hadn't come my way. You changed me. And I like it. "

Karen shook her head, tucking wet strands of hair behind her eats. She hated feeling like she was loosing him when she never really had him. It wasn't fair that Stanley was probably waiting at home for her as he said he would. Something he had to talk about with her. It made her nervous, but it made her feel good that for once he needed her for something.

She gave in and allowed him to take her hand and pull her into the apartment, wrapping his arms around her as they waited for the elevator, and allowed him to kiss her as they rode it up to his floor. When they entered the apartment Jack was sitting on the couch looking excited.

"Oh Karen, Stan wanted me to tell you he wasn't going to be home tonight," Will looked at Karen and she could feel her entire life slowly unraveling. And in that moment Jack ripped any sort of progression forward between Will and Karen to shreds. It was a nice fantasy while they lived it.


	9. Divorce, Affair

There was an empty glass sitting outside Will's bedroom, the only piece of evidence that gave away Grace and Jack's foiled plan. A closet that once was full of women's clothing was now emptied and scattered across the bed and floor. Voices echoed down the hallway allowing anyone in between the front door and the door to the bedroom in on the conversation. To say the least everything had become a mess.

After Jack's mention of Stan, Karen disappeared into Will's bedroom and Will followed, slamming the door behind him. In the matter of seconds, his voice along with Karen's sounded loudly down the hallway. With the glass cup in hand, Jack slowly put it down and went with Grace to go sit back down, waiting for them to come out.

When Karen finally left the apartment on Riverside Drive, her cheeks were wet, stained with salty tears. They both had said things that they definitely regretted. At least she did. She said she hated him, hated him and only slept with him because she was bored. And while he was good with her, he probably wasn't very good with anyone else. That's why he had nobody after Grace left.

And the things he said, yes it hurt, but it was only in retaliation. He called her a washed up housewife. Stan didn't love her because she wasn't a blonde blue-eyed bimbo that he liked screwing. And then he hit her hard, the thing that drove her out of the apartment. He was glad she wasn't pregnant with his child since there would be no way to explain why she was such a drugged out alcoholic.

She had finally got herself together by the time she opened the front door to the mansion full well knowing Stan was going to be there, ready to ask her where she was and she had no problem telling him. At least not this time. For once in her marriage she didn't care if he liked what she did or not. And if she had to rub Will in his face then so be it.

Stanley, one night found Karen in her bedroom emptying out her closet. All the outfits, the pantsuits she just had to have were in their own separate pile and the ones that were more laid back were packed into a suitcase.

"Where are you going?" He asked, bracing a hand on the doorway. She looked up at him for a brief moment before turning and continued packing. "Karen?"

"I'm leaving." She stated. "The envelope on the kitchen table is for you. They're divorce papers. I'm done with you and with this marriage."

"When did you decide this?" Stanley asked making his way into the bedroom. For a brief moment she was expecting him to stop her but he just took a seat in one of her chairs.

"Months ago." It was her last straw with Stanley. The woman that had left the mansion an hour ago finally pushed her. She had seen Grace with Will shopping at Barneys a few days ago. His hair had grown out and it looked good on him. It looked better than the mullet. Anything looked better than the mullet.

"When you had your falling out with Will? Oh come on Karen, you couldn't have been that mad that I hired him as our lawyer."

"That wasn't the only thing that I was mad about, Stanley." When she had come home that night in tears, Stanley had added salt to the wound by telling her he had hired a lawyer fresh out of law school. He trusted him and the fact that it was Will did nothing for her. So she escaped and fled the country. And she came back when she knew that Will wouldn't be anywhere near her and there would be no chance of an encounter. It was childish that she ran and hid, but if she was thrust in front of him, she just didn't trust herself.

"Fine. I'll sign them. But please come with me to the Club. I need to make some sort of presentation."

"I don't know, Stanley. I just need to get out of this place."

"Anywhere you want to go Karen." He was being civil about it, which didn't help her any. But it was nice that he wasn't fighting her on this. She didn't have a lot of fight. "I'll drive you where ever you want to go."

"Alright." She grabbed the closet dress. Her black low cut dress that she had bought on a whim.

Club 33 had become a place that she was starting to resent. She didn't know whether or not the party that they were going to was a good idea. Especially since she knew that Will got the same invitation. She doubted Stanley really had to make a speech; it was just a way to get her there. The wall-to-wall people and the music and the constant chatter, it began to be too much.

She had excused herself to the bathroom, needing to get away from all the hustle and bustle. She had to get away from all the people coming up to her and her husband who had been expressing how happy they were to see him there again. It drove her crazy. And the confines of the white tiled bathroom seemed to do the trick to calm her nerves.

That was until she was met with the sight of Will standing in the doorway, his hands in his pockets talking to Stan. If she hadn't already been seen and called over, Karen would have retreated back to the bathroom until she knew Will wouldn't be there. In any other place, in any other situation, Karen would have wrapped her arms around his waist, kissed a spot on his shoulder and rested her head on his back. God she missed doing that.

"Karen, you remember Will, right?" She looked up at Stan with slightly narrowed eyes. They had talked about him the entire car ride and after the affair they had, of course she remembered him. How could she not?

"How are you?" She asked.

"Good. You?"

"Fair." She smiled and escaped into another room. She heard Will excuse himself and moments later she felt his hand wrap around her upper arm, pulling her to him and into a small corner, hidden from everyone's view.

Will backed her into the wall, covering his body with hers and leant down and kissed her. He kissed her hard, with no finesse, no foreplay, nothing. He buried his hands in her hair, tugging on it lightly, enough to get a moan out of her. She gripped his shirt, no doubt wrinkling it in the process.

When he pulled away they were both breathless. Their eyes were dark with arousal, needing each other. Their hands were still touching each other, her's on his chest, his on her waist. She rested her forehead on his chest, the same place she'd lie her head down when they slept; she could feel his heart beat. As he held her there against him, he ran his fingers through her hair his nails slightly scraping against her scalp, it was soothing.

"I missed you," she whispered. He dropped a kiss to the top of her head, his arms still wrapped around her.

They heard Stanley calling for Karen. She went to step away but Will just held her there and kissed her again. Deeper, longer, and for whatever reason, she didn't mind that her husband was coming their way. She could hear his heavy footsteps coming in their general direction. So she wrapped her hands around Will's neck and gave into the kiss, gave into everything that he was offering.

The next thing she knew, Will was being pulled away from her and all but tossed into the next wall. Stanley took her hand and pulled her out of the room, out of the Club and threw her into a cab, slamming the door behind her for extra effect. In all the years she had been married to Stanley, not once had she ever been afraid of him. It was odd after he had found out about her affair, things she's done behind his back, he was becoming the overprotective husband. And he probably didn't realize how hypocritical that made him look either. He probably didn't even care.

It took them eight months to get divorced, to get everything settled. She didn't get anything. She didn't want anything. The only thing she got out of the marriage, besides the memories, was the endless invitations to Club 33. She hadn't been there for almost a year. She couldn't bare going back there, not with all the people knowing what happened. So she just took everything in stride and went on with life. Not much else she could do.


	10. Golden Pair of Threes

There was something about the wet grass under Karen's feet and the grey clouds that were threatening rain that sent Karen's thoughts into overdrive. All the important events through out her life were being pushed to the front, forcing her to reevaluate her mistakes and her achievements.

There was the time she was six years old when she had painted something and they had done an art show at her school. Her parents had known for weeks, months even. And when the day came, her mother had done her hair, helped her get dressed in one of the best outfits she had, and asked what it was all for. Laughing it off, Lois kissed her cheek and promised she'd be there. Her father drove her to school and promised he'd come back. He never did. He passed away in a car accident on the way home.

Then there was the time she turned 12. All she asked for was a music box that had point shoes painted on the side. She had seen it in the window of one of the stores her and her mother would pass when she would walk to school. So when she saw it sitting on her desk, along with a handwritten note from her mother saying she was needed to pack her things, she didn't realize her music box would disappear and never be seen again.

Being 16 is never easy for anyone, whether they're a boy or a girl; it's a time that needs major attention. A pair of car keys were put into her possession, the money she was promised for 'helping' her mother, and a suitcase begging to be packed. After a decade of missing the one person she felt like she could trust, the woman who used her, traded her for tricks, suddenly meant nothing to her. And the car seemed like a better house to live in than the one that actually had a sturdy roof.

As Karen walked along the grass, she thought about her marriage to Stanley. The one man she had given up multiple offers for had treated her like she mattered, until the truth had been revealed. She actually had feelings for the bastard. She genuinely cared when he got sick, privately cried when he had a heart attack, and locked herself into a room for days when he died. There was no way getting over a man who, no matter how horrible he had treated her, she had come to love. It wasn't easy.

Looking up at the house she had come to call home, her thoughts drifted to Will. There was no way the man could have been anything but perfect for her. He said, he did all the right things to make her heart swoon and for her thoughts to blur, her body forever his. Even him flaunting Michael Potter in her face did nothing to her ego. He even looked pained that the other man was standing next to him, congratulating him on some big promotion. They all knew, possibly with the exception of Michael, that she was supposed to be the one handing him the pair of scissors for him to cut the red ribbon. It was where she belonged.

"Karen, it's time to cut the cake!" Over her shoulder she looked at Marilyn who was standing in the doorway, waving her in. Obliging, Karen trudged up the steps into the house and smiled when she turned the corner, pretending everything was perfectly fine.

She had received the phone call from Jack a few weeks earlier, informing her that Marilyn and George were throwing Will a birthday party. She had already received a series of phone calls from his mother, had made several trips up to the house, helping Marilyn make everything perfect. It was the least she could do after practically stealing Will from her. Even if it was for a short few months.

"Everything looks really great, Kare-" Jack whispered in her ear as they watched Will open his mountain of gifts.

"Thanks poodle." Karen leaned her head on Jack's shoulder, smiling when he hugged her to him.

Karen had insisted to Marilyn that she help with the dishes. Being divorced from Stanley and dealing with him being dead, she had become very hospitable and very domestic. Washing dishes and doing laundry as out of the ordinary it was, it took her mind off of things that she didn't want to concentrate on. And the way her hands moved across the plate, wet and drenched in soap, it was methodic in some odd way.

The evening had winded down rather easily. Will's brothers and his niece and nephew had left some hours ago, the four friends went out for a walk, Karen stuck with Jack who regaled her in a tale of his latest audition. Will stayed behind with Grace chatting about who knows what.

"You're still in love with him aren't you?" Jack had asked her. She smiled and looked at the sand, the different color variations from the water.

"It's hard not to be, Jackie." She smiled as she felt her cheeks warm. She probably would be in love with him for some time. And it didn't bother her if one day it ended, but that she doubted would ever happen.

"You two should just forget about whatever happened between the two of you and just get married and get it over with." Karen couldn't help but laugh at the man, shaking her head at the suggestion. It's not like it hadn't crossed her mind.

It hadn't bothered her as much as it should have; Jack's suggestion. She had come to the conclusion that she wasn't the marrying type. Not a person who would do well in a situation like that. After three failed marriages, a fourth with no concrete outcome was not something she wanted to put herself through. Doing that to Will, leading him on with all the uncertainty, it just wasn't fair.

When they had came into the house Jack and Will disappeared, leaving her with Grace. She smiled at the red head who just excused herself into the kitchen. Karen, the curiosity getting the best of her, followed Grace into the kitchen. The red head toweled off the dishes on the rack and reached up to put them away.

"I never understood what he saw in you." Grace stated; her back to Karen. "You're obsessive, narcissistic, and at times a bitch. But pushing that aside, you're a friend. And that's what mattered when I was gone."

"If you think I'm replacing you Grace I-" Grace turned around and put a hand up immediately stopping Karen from speaking.

"He's in love with you." She said, her voice shaking. "He's more in love with you than he'll ever be with me."

Grace tossed the rag onto the counter and left Karen standing in the kitchen. That's how she ended up in the kitchen washing dishes. She couldn't get Grace out of her head. Will was in love with her. With Karen. And according to Grace more so than Grace.

She shook her head at the thought. It wasn't far from possible, but it wasn't close either. At least not in their eyes. They distanced themselves. On purpose. She heard Will bid his mother good night before pushing himself through the door.

Karen turned and braced her hands against the counter behind her. Will went to the fridge took out an apple before biting into it and turning his attention to her. She smiled at him as he took another bite out of it. He approached her slowly and dropped the apple on the counter before trapping Karen in her spot. She couldn't help but smile as he placed his face inches from hers.

"Jack thinks we should get married." Karen informed Will, dropping her hands to his waist. Will laughed lightly.

"You're not the marrying type." He said, voicing her thoughts. He dropped a kiss to her forehead. "Plus, I like what we have right now."

"Running around behind their backs, thinking we hate each other. It'll get old after a while." She told him. "Eventually they'll catch on."

"So what if they do?" He leaned down and kissed her again. He was smiling when he broke away.

"So I heard something else that was funny today," She said running her hands up his chest. He raised his eyebrow. "Grace says you're in love with me."

"Well I do love you." She looked at him, her eyes slightly wide. "I love you Karen."

"And you've never told me that." Karen said. "Ever."

"Well I meant it everyday." She shook her head at the cheesy line. "How do you like the house?"

"I love it." She smiled.

The house he had built, designed, and put his entire heart into it became his life. He put everything he had into making sure that it was perfect. And the welcome mat, as a secret joke between the two of them had been the welcome mat from Club 33. In the word welcome the e's had been turned in to 3's, giving it a distinct look to the mat all the while keeping the same elegance. New York's Club 33 changed peoples lives.


End file.
